Heat exchanger, climate chamber provided with a heat exchanger and use of a climate chamber

ABSTRACT

Heat exchanger, in particular for use in a climate chamber, as well as to a climate chamber provided with such a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger essentially comprises a panel-shaped body ( 21 ) of heat-conducting material, which body is provided with fluid lines ( 22, 23, 24 ) for the passage of a fluid. The panel-shaped body ( 21 ) is provided with perforations ( 25, 26 ) for the passage of a gas stream (A) directed transversely to the plane of the panel-shaped body. The heat exchanger is furthermore provided with a medium, supply duct. ( 27 ) for supplying a gaseous medium to a plurality of gassing ducts ( 28 ). The gassing ducts ( 28 ) run parallel to one another along the panel-shaped body ( 21 ) and the interior of each gassing duct in each case touches a part of the panel-shaped body ( 21 ). Each gassing duct ( 28 ) is furthermore provided with a number of outflow openings ( 31 ) which are provided along’ the length thereof in a distributed manner in order to make it possible for the medium to flow into the gas stream (A).

CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

The present application is a National Stage Application of PCTInternational Application No. PCT/NL2007/050370 (filed on Jul. 25,2007), under 35 U.S.C. 371, which is hereby incorporated by reference inits entirety.

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger, in particular for usein a climate chamber, such as a climate chamber for poultry, such asyoung chicks,

-   the heat exchanger comprising:    -   a panel-shaped body of heat-conducting material;    -   at least one fluid line, in particular a plurality of fluid        lines, for passing a fluid through, such as a liquid;    -   a feed line for the fluid;    -   a discharge line for the fluid;-   in which the panel-shaped body is substantially rectangular and    provided with perforations for the passage of a gas stream directed    transversely to the plane of the panel-shaped body;-   in which said fluid lines form an integral part of the panel-shaped    body and extend between the discharge line and the feed line.

A heat exchanger of this type is known from EP 1.104.987 and iscommercially available from Hatchtech. This known heat exchangeressentially consists of a metal panel having a large number ofperforations. In order to be able to influence the temperature of thispanel, said panel is provided with fluid lines through which a fluid, inparticular water, of a specific desired temperature can flow in order tokeep the perforated panel at a specific temperature or to bring theperforated panel to a specific temperature. The perforated panel isarranged vertically and a horizontal gas stream flows through thelatter, which gas stream touches the plane of the panel transversely,passes through the perforations and subsequently flows onwards on theother side of the panel. While the gas stream passes through the panel,the temperature of the gas stream can be influenced. If the temperatureof the gas stream is to be increased, the temperature of the panel willhave been increased to above that of the gas stream and if thetemperature of the gas stream is to be decreased, the temperature of thepanel will be below that of the gas stream. This known heat exchanger ishighly suitable for keeping the temperature of a gas which flows througha climate chamber as constant as possible. While it flows through theclimate chamber, the temperature of the gas can then be influenced bypassing it through the perforated panel. As a result of the resistancewhich the gas stream encounters at the panel, the gas is distributedover the surface area of the panel, as it were, in order to achieve agood heat-exchanging contact. By means of the known vertically arrangedheat exchangers, the climate chamber is then subdivided intocompartments, it being possible to control the temperature of eachcompartment very accurately. It is even possible to keep the temperaturein successive compartments virtually the same. If objects are present ina compartment which withdraw heat from the passing gas stream or whichemit heat, the gas stream in a compartment will either cool down or heatup, respectively, during its passage through said compartment. Thiscooling down or heating up can then be compensated for by passagethrough the known heat exchanger by heating or cooling the gas stream bymeans of the heat exchanger until it reaches the desired temperature.However, the known heat exchanger can also advantageously be used in aside wall of a compartment in order to bring the influent gas stream toa specific desired temperature in an even way. In case the gas stream isrecirculated, the gas stream may also completely or partially be takento the desired temperature by means of a heat exchanger placed in thewall of the compartment in order to be passed through the compartmentagain and/or, if desired, any other compartments after having beenreturned to the inflow side.

The above-described known heat exchangers which are commerciallyavailable from Hatchtech work well in practice. However, with certainapplications, it may be desirable to feed an additional gaseous mediumto the climate chamber. This additional medium may be, for example,fresh air. With other applications, this medium may also have acomposition which is different from air or may be composed of one ormore other gases. In the case of a climate chamber for ripening fruit ora climate chamber for hatching eggs, it may, for example, be desirableto influence the CO₂ or CO or O₂ or H₂O content or yet another contentof the gas stream. This is achieved by feeding a medium having aspecific desired composition to this gas stream. In this connection, itis important, however, that the temperature in the climate chamber isnot affected. Feeding the medium therefore takes place outside theclimatized chamber, before the gas stream is passed into said chamber,so that the temperature of the gas stream is again at its desired levelbefore the gas stream enters the climatized chamber. Usually, heatexchangers are used in order to bring the gas stream to the correcttemperature, which heat exchangers, however, have the disadvantage thatthey require a lot of power and take up a lot of space.

With the known heat exchanger, as well as with the heat exchangeraccording to the invention discussed below, the fluid lines form anintegral part of the panel-shaped body. This means that they areconnected to the panel-shaped body in a heat-exchanging manner so thatthe fluid flowing through the fluid lines can exchange heat with thepanel-shaped body in order to influence the temperature of the latter.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved heatexchanger which makes it possible to achieve an improved operation of,inter alia, a climate chamber.

The abovementioned object is achieved according to the invention byproviding a heat exchanger, in particular for use in a climate chamber,such as a climate chamber for poultry, such as young chicks,

-   the heat exchanger comprising:    -   a panel-shaped body of heat-conducting material;    -   at least one fluid line, in particular a plurality of fluid        lines, for passing a fluid through, such as a liquid;    -   a feed line for the fluid;    -   a discharge line for the fluid;-   in which the panel-shaped body is substantially rectangular and    provided with perforations for the passage of a gas stream directed    transversely to the plane of the panel-shaped body;-   in which said fluid lines form an integral part of the panel-shaped    body and extend between the discharge line and the feed line;-   characterized in that-   the heat exchanger furthermore comprises:    -   at least one medium supply duct for supplying a gaseous medium;    -   a plurality of gassing ducts;-   in which the gassing ducts extend parallel to one another and along    the panel-shaped body;-   in which the gassing ducts extend transversely to the medium supply    duct and are connected to the medium supply duct; and-   in which each gassing duct is provided with a number of outflow    openings which are provided along the length thereof in a    distributed manner in order to make it possible for said medium to    flow into said gas stream.

By providing the heat exchanger according to the invention with a mediumsupply duct by means of which the gaseous medium to be fed to the gasstream can be supplied, and with a plurality of gassing ducts runningalong the panel-shaped body, the medium to be supplied can be fed to thegas stream when it passes through the heat exchanger. In order to feedthe medium to the entire gas stream in an evenly distributed manner asfar as possible, each gassing duct is provided with a number of outflowopenings distributed along the length of the latter for allowing themedium to flow into said gas stream. Thus, a supply is achieved in whichthe medium is distributed over the surface of the panel-shaped body, asit were.

The fluid line(s) and the panel-shaped body will in practice be made ofa metal since metals readily conduct heat. However, they can also bemade of other heat-conducting materials. In this case, a heat-conductingmaterial according to the invention is understood to be a materialhaving a heat conductivity of at least 50 W/mK, in particular at least150 W/mK, such as 200 W/mK or more.

Where reference is made to a gas or gas stream in this application, thiswill generally be air or an air stream, respectively, the composition ofwhich may:

-   -   be identical to that of atmospheric ambient air; or    -   differ to a greater or lesser extent from atmospheric ambient        air since the composition has, for example, been modified in        order to optimize a specific process.

Where reference is made to a medium or gaseous medium in thisapplication, this medium may have a composition which differs from thegas or the gas stream, respectively. However, the composition of themedium may also be the same or approximately the same as that of the gasor gas stream, respectively. The term “(gaseous) medium” is mainly usedin this application to be able to make a distinction between the terms“the gas/the gas stream”.

According to a further embodiment, the interior of each gassing duct ineach case touches a part of the panel-shaped body. Due to the fact thatthe interior of each gassing duct in each case touches a part of thepanel-shaped body—the panel-shaped body can thus both be a side wall ofthe gassing duct and a partition in the gassing duct—the temperature ofthe medium to be supplied can be completely or partially brought to thedesired temperature of the gas stream before it flows into the gasstream.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is advantageousif each gassing duct comprises a first and a second duct compartment,both of which compartments extend in the longitudinal direction of saidgassing duct, and in which that part of the panel-shaped body whichtouches the interior of said gassing duct forms a partition which isarranged in the gassing duct, separates both duct compartments from oneanother and has the abovementioned perforations;

in which the first duct compartment is in each case connected to themedium supply duct for receiving the medium therefrom and issubstantially closed with respect to the environment; in which saidoutflow openings are provided in said second duct compartment in such amanner that said medium supplied from the medium supply duct to thefirst duct compartment of the gassing duct ends up in the second ductcompartment via said perforations in the partition and leaves saidsecond duct compartment in order to flow into said gas stream via saidoutflow openings. Each gassing duct is thus subdivided into a first ductcompartment and a second duct compartment, both of which ductcompartments are separated from one another by a partition which isformed by the panel-shaped body. This partition is provided withperforations. The medium is supplied to the first duct compartment,which is substantially closed except for the partition and theconnection to the medium supply duct. The first duct compartment thusensures that the medium supplied is readily distributed over the entirelength of the gassing duct in order then to flow to the second ductcompartment via the perforations and to be brought to the desiredtemperature in the meantime. Subsequently, the medium is able to leavethe gassing duct from the second duct compartment and flow into the gasstream via the outflow openings.

According to the invention, it is furthermore advantageous if the mediumsupply duct extends along an edge of the panel-shaped body and isattached to said edge. Thus, it is not necessary to provide each gassingduct with a separate connection and it suffices to provide a singleconnection to the medium supply duct and, for the remainder, to providethe heat exchanger as a completely prefabricated unit. This makes theinstallation of the heat exchanger significantly easier.

In order to improve the supply of medium to the gassing ducts, it is inthis case advantageous according to the invention, if the heat exchangercomprises two of said medium supply ducts which are provided alongopposite edges of said panel-shaped body, and if said gassing ductsextend between these gas supply ducts. Each gassing duct can thus be fedwith medium to be supplied from two opposite sides.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is advantageousif the feed line and/or discharge line extend through said medium supplyduct. The medium supply ducts will have a relatively large crosssection, at least by comparison to the feed line and the discharge linefor the fluid, which will usually be a liquid. Providing the feed lineand/or discharge line inside the medium supply duct offers the advantagethat said feed line and/or discharge line are thus protected, whichmakes them less susceptible to damage and leaks. A further advantage isthat a heat exchanger is thus obtained on which dirt is deposited andaccumulates less easily. Still a further advantage is the fact that thetemperature of the medium can thus already be influenced in the mediumsupply duct by means of the fluid.

In order to influence the temperature of the medium stream accurately,it is advantageous according to the invention, if the interior of eachgassing duct in each case touches the exterior of a fluid line. Themedium can then be heated or cooled inside the gassing duct on theexternal surface of the fluid line, as it were.

According to yet a further embodiment of the invention, it isadvantageous if the gassing ducts are in each case arranged at adistance from one another, and if the intermediate zones of thepanel-shaped body, which intermediate zones are situated in between andcontact the surrounding area are in each case provided with saidperforations. The result thereof is that the gas stream can flow throughthe panel-shaped body between the gassing ducts.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, it is advantageousif each gassing duct is provided with at least one trough, such as adrinking trough for poultry, which extends over virtually the entirelength of the gassing duct. Thus it is possible to not only use the heatexchanger for influencing the temperature in a space, but also forinfluencing the moisture in said space. The trough may be filled withwater which evaporates. Furthermore, it is possible to use the trough asa drinking trough, for example when used in a climate chamber wherepoultry is kept. In case the trough is used as a drinking trough, itwill usually be filled with water to which additives, such as foodsupplements or medication, may be added. According to a furtherembodiment, it is advantageous in this case if the troughs are situatedone above the other, each have a first end and a second end, and are ineach case provided with an overflow at the second end, which overflowdebouches in the downward direction above the first end of the troughunderneath, in such a manner that that liquid supplied at the first endof the top trough, going successively from the top trough to the bottomtrough, in each case fills the trough situated at a higher level andflows on to the trough situated at a lower level when the filling level,which is determined in each case by the overflow of the trough situatedat a higher level, is exceeded. Thus a system of cascading troughs isachieved which can be fed by only supplying liquid to the top trough, inparticular water containing one or more additives.

With a heat exchanger according to the invention provided with troughs,it is furthermore advantageous if each trough has a first and secondlongitudinal trough edge, if the second longitudinal trough edge islocated between the first longitudinal trough edge and the panel-shapedbody; if the second longitudinal trough edge is defined by the top wallof the respective gassing duct; and if the first longitudinal troughedge is situated at a higher level than the second longitudinal troughedge; and if the first longitudinal trough edge is situated at a higherlevel than the second longitudinal trough edge, so that when an obstacleis present in the trough, the liquid is able to pass this obstacle viathe top wall of said respective gassing duct. This prevents thesituation from occurring where, if there is an obstacle in a trough, thetroughs which are below said trough are not supplied with liquid.

According to yet a further embodiment, the heat exchanger according tothe invention is provided with fastening means at each gassing duct forattachment of a lighting fixture. Thus, the heat exchanger can be usedas a support for lighting arranged across the heat exchanger. Thefastening means in this case advantageously comprise a receiving slotextending in the longitudinal direction of the gassing duct forreceiving the lighting fixture, said receiving slot being open towardsthe environment. In this way, the lighting fixture can be attached tothe heat exchanger in a simple manner by placing, inserting, clicking orotherwise positioning the former into the receiving slot. According toyet a further embodiment, each gassing duct of the heat exchanger is notonly provided with fastening means for a lighting fixture, but eachgassing duct is provided with at least one lighting fixture.

In a heat exchanger according to the invention provided with lightingfixtures, it is furthermore advantageous if one or more of the lightingfixtures, such as all lighting fixtures, comprise a row of lightingLEDs, which row extends along substantially the entire gassing duct. Themain advantage of using lighting LEDs is the fact that lighting LEDs arerelatively small and have a relatively large light yield, and the lightyield thereof can readily be adjusted, for example by switching one ormore LEDs of the lighting fixture on or off.

When using a lighting fixture with a row of lighting LEDs, it isfurthermore advantageous according to the invention if a number of theLEDs in the row of lighting LEDs are directed in such a manner that theyshine on a trough which is situated at a lower level. Thus, the troughcan be lit up so that birds can easily find the trough. It is evenpossible to switch on only or mainly those lighting LEDs which aredirected towards the trough which is situated at a lower level andswitch off the other LEDs completely or partially. In this case, it isparticularly advantageous if some of the LEDs, preferably the LEDs whichare directed at a trough which is situated at a lower level, aredesigned to emit red light. The Applicant has found that red light isvery effective in indicating to the birds where the trough is located.Thus, it is easier for the birds to find the trough without becomingdisoriented.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the feed line isprovided along a first side of the panel-shaped body, the discharge lineis provided along a second side of the panel-shaped body, said first andsecond side run parallel to and at a distance from one another, and aplurality of said fluid lines is provided which run parallel to oneanother. The result thereof is that the length of the fluid lines islimited to a width dimension of the panel-shaped body, as a result ofwhich the difference in temperature between fluid at the start and atthe end of the fluid line can be kept small. It is thus possible to keeptemperature differences between different locations on the panel-shapedbody relatively small.

According to a further aspect, the present invention relates to aclimate chamber, such as a climate chamber for poultry, in particularyoung chicks, in which the climate chamber comprises at least onechamber compartment, at least one side of which is delimited by a heatexchanger according to the invention, which heat exchanger is preferablyarranged vertically. The advantages of a climate chamber provided with aheat exchanger according to the invention will also be clear from theabove. It is particularly advantageous with a climate chamber accordingto the invention if the climate chamber comprises at least two of saidchamber compartments which are separated from one another by a heatexchanger according to the invention, which heat exchanger is preferablyarranged vertically. Thus, it is not only possible to return the gasstream which is directed transversely to the heat exchanger(s), andpreferably is horizontal, flowing through the climate chamber to thedesired temperature at the transition from one chamber compartment tothe next, adjoining chamber compartment, but also to restore the desiredcomposition thereof, should this have changed during the passage throughthe compartment, or maybe simply admixing medium in the form of freshair each time the gas stream enters a subsequent chamber compartment.

A climate chamber according to the invention is in particular providedwith ventilation means designed for generating a gas stream which isdirected transversely to the panel body of the one or more heatexchangers according to the invention provided in said climate chamber,the gas stream preferably being directed horizontally.

With a climate chamber according to the invention, it is furthermoreadvantageous if the outflow openings debouch to the environment, that isto say to the climatized space formed by the climate chamber, on thosesides of the panel body at which the preferably horizontal gas stream isdirected. This ensures that the medium supplied and the horizontal gasstream is mixed well. This mixing is promoted further by theperforations in the panel body during the passage of the gas stream andthe medium supplied.

In order, on the one hand, to achieve a good mixture of the medium andthe gas stream and, on the other hand, not to disturb the gas stream toomuch, it is advantageous, according to the invention, if the debouchingdirection of the outflow openings is directed substantially transverselyto the longitudinal direction of the gassing ducts and parallel to thepanel-shaped body.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, each chambercompartment of the climate chamber furthermore comprises at least onestack of crates for products which are to be kept under conditionedcircumstances, such as poultry or fruit, with the height of each cratecorresponding to the centre-to-centre distance at which the gassingducts are arranged with respect to one another, in such a manner thateach layer of crates of the stack of crates can separately be suppliedwith medium by a respective gassing duct. This ensures that the mediumto be supplied can reach each separate crate which leads to evendistribution across the climate chamber.

With a climate chamber according to the invention, in which the heatexchanger is provided with troughs in accordance with the invention, itis advantageous according to the invention if each crate, along a sidewall, is provided with, starting from the bottom, a bottom vertical wallpart, a part which is directed outwards from the top of the bottomvertical wall part, and a top wall part which is directed verticallyfrom the outer edge of the outwardly directed part; if the outwardlydirected parts of each crate in a stack are in each case situated abovea trough, and are provided with drinking passages of such dimensionsthat, on the one hand, the birds can drink from the trough, but, on theother hand, cannot escape from the crate via the passage. The crosssection of the head of chicks is usually within the range of between 1and 2 cm. Upon hatching, the cross section of the head of a chick isapproximately 12 mm and after five days the cross section isapproximately 20 mm. Therefore, the narrowest width of said drinkingpassages will be greater than 20 mm. However, the width of said drinkingpassages should not be excessively large as the chick will then fitthrough them in its entirety. In the case of young chicks, the narrowestwidth of the drinking passages will therefore be smaller thanapproximately 30 mm. The drinking passages may thus have a width ofapproximately 22 mm.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is advantageousin the case of a climate chamber with crates if the bottom of each crateis designed as a grate with a removable baseplate underneath forcollecting droppings. The baseplate prevents bird droppings from a cratewhich is situated in a higher position from landing on the birds in acrate which is situated in a lower position. Providing a grate above thebaseplate prevents the birds from walking around in their own excrementas the birds are able to walk on the grate. By making the baseplateremovable, the crate can readily be cleaned in an efficient manner.After all, the baseplate can be removed and the crate can be cleanedwithout a baseplate being present, for example by spray-cleaning it,optionally with a disinfectant. The baseplate can then be cleanedseparately or be disposed of. In this case, it is furthermoreadvantageous if the removable baseplate is at a distance of 5 mm to 50mm below the grate so as to leave a clearance. The result thereof isthat the droppings can spread across the baseplate below the grate. Inpractice, it has been found that birds tend to deposit droppings mainlyin one specific spot. If no clearance were provided, this would resultin the droppings remaining in situ in said spot, which would lead to aheap and thus mean that the birds would walk or sit in their ownexcrement.

Furthermore, it is very advantageous according to the invention if theremovable baseplate is made of a biodegradable material, such asbiodegradable cellulose, for example paper or cardboard. If thebaseplate is made from such a biodegradable material, the baseplate canbe disposed of or processed together with the droppings, without itbeing necessary to separate the baseplate and the droppings.

According to a further embodiment, it is advantageous if the undersideof the grate is of a concave/convex design. This improves the spread ofdroppings across the baseplate since there is slightly more space in thecentre.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the bottom of eachcrate is provided with supporting feet, so that when the crate is placedon a flat surface and the baseplate has been removed, the underside ofthe grate is a distance of at least approximately 5 mm to 15 mm abovesaid surface. Thus, it is possible to move the crate, without thebaseplate, but with birds, by means of a conveyor belt or anotherconveying system. The supporting feet in this case prevent the chicksfrom touching the surface (conveyor belt or conveying system) with theirfeet or toes, as the latter could lead to damage to the feet of thebirds/chicks.

According to yet a further embodiment of the climate chamber accordingto the invention, two opposite side walls of each crate are providedwith ventilation passages, and said ventilation passages have dimensionswhich are such that the heads of chicks of chickens cannot pass throughthem. The ventilation passages in opposite side walls ensure that thegas stream can pass through the crate. With chicks, the cross section ofthe head is usually in the range of 1 to 2 cm, so that the narrowestwidth of the ventilation passages will then be in the range fromapproximately 0.5 to approximately 2 cm. Upon hatching, the head of a(young) chick has a cross section of approximately 12 mm and after 5days it has a cross section of approximately 20 mm. Based on these youngchicks, the width of the ventilation passages will then be 9 to 11 mm,and preferably approximately 11 mm in order to promote the circulationas much as possible.

In order to be able to feed the poultry, in particular chicks, it isfurthermore advantageous according to the invention if each crate has afeeding trough which preferably extends transversely to the plane of thepanel-shaped body. By orienting the feeding trough in a direction whichis transverse to the plane of the panel-shaped body, this feeding troughimpedes the circulation of the gas stream through the crate as little aspossible.

According to a further embodiment of the climate chamber according tothe invention, this climate chamber comprises a substantially closedspace with a corridor having, on one side or on both sides, a row with anumber of one or more, in particular a plurality of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ormore said chamber compartments, each chamber compartment beingaccessible from said corridor via a door. By providing the climatechamber with a corridor, it is possible to reach the chambercompartments via said door from a space which also belongs to theclimate chamber, i.e. the corridor. Thus, disturbances of the controlledconditions in the chamber compartments can be reduced if it is necessaryto access a chamber compartment during use.

In this case, it is furthermore advantageous according to the inventionif the dimensions of the corridor and the doors are such that said stackof crates can be moved through the corridor, can be placed in saidchamber compartment from the corridor via the door, and can be movedfrom said chamber compartment to the corridor via the door. This makesit possible to place the stack of crates in its entirety in a chambercompartment and also to remove it from the chamber again in itsentirety. It is then not necessary to place the crates in the chambercompartment one by one and to place them on top of one another to form astack or to remove them from the chamber compartment one by one.

It is furthermore advantageous with the climate chamber according to theinvention if the climate chamber comprises a ventilation system which isdesigned to transport gas from one end of each row through the rows ofchamber compartments to the other end of each row in a first horizontaldirection, and to transport this gas back to the first end of each rowfrom said other end of each row through the corridor in a secondhorizontal direction, which is counter to the first horizontaldirection. Thus, on the one hand, the need for separate return ducts forthe gas which would have inherently large dimensions is reduced, if notcompletely omitted and, on the other hand, it is ensured thatapproximately the same controlled conditions prevail in the corridor asin the chamber compartments. If the door to a chamber compartment isopened from the corridor, there will be little disturbance in thecontrolled conditions in the chamber compartment.

According to a further aspect, the invention relates to the use of aclimate chamber according to the invention for chicks, in particularchicks of chickens, less than 5 days old, in particular less than 3 or 2days old. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of aclimate chamber according to the invention for chicks, in particularchicks of chickens, between the ages of 0 (0=zero) days (0 days meansfrom hatching up to an age of less than 24 hours) or 1 day (1 day meansan age of 24-48 hours). This does not preclude chicks which have beenplaced in the climate chamber according to the invention from the age of0 days from being held in the latter up to an age of 5 days or even 10days.

The present invention will be described below in more detail withreference to an example illustrated diagrammatically in the drawing, inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a heat exchanger according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional perspective view of a part of the heatexchanger from FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional side view of a part of the heat exchangerfrom FIG. 1 together with part of a stack of crates;

FIG. 4 shows a highly diagrammatic top view of a climate chamberaccording to the invention;

FIG. 5 shows a vertical view in longitudinal section of the climatechamber according to FIG. 4, which view in longitudinal section is takenalong arrows V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a crate from the stack of crates asillustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 shows a first vertical view in longitudinal section of the cratefrom FIG. 6, which view in longitudinal section is taken along arrowsVII in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 shows a second vertical view in longitudinal section of the cratefrom FIG. 6, which view in longitudinal section is taken along arrowsVIII in FIG. 6.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show a heat exchanger according to the invention. Thisheat exchanger is constructed around a panel-shaped body 21 having oneor more fluid lines 22. The panel-shaped body 21 is provided withperforations 25 and 26. These perforations make it possible for a gasstream (arrow A) to pass through the panel-shaped body 21 in a directiontransverse to the panel-shaped body 21. Similarly to a radiator, thepanel-shaped body 21 can be brought to a specific temperature by meansof the fluid flowing through the one or more fluid lines. The one ormore fluid lines extend between a feed line and a discharge line forsaid fluid. The panel-shaped body and the fluid lines will usually bemade of a metal and form an integral part of one another (for example bybeing welded to one another, soldered to one another or by extruding thelines and the body in a single operation to form a single extrusionprofile). Such a heat exchanger, as described above with reference toFIGS. 1, 2 and 3, can also be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 of WO 00/08922 .According to the invention, this (known) heat exchanger is additionallyprovided, in particular, with gassing ducts 28.

The gassing ducts 28 run parallel to one another and along thepanel-shaped body 21. The gassing ducts 28 are fed by one or more mediumsupply ducts 27 and are connected thereto by passage openings 34. As canbe seen in FIG. 1, a tubular medium supply duct 27 is provided alongopposite sides of the panel-shaped body 21 so that the gassing ducts 28can be supplied with medium from two sides simultaneously. The gassingducts 28 extend between the latter and transversely to the medium supplyducts 27. The gassing ducts 28 are provided at a centre-to-centredistance C from one another in such a manner that in each case oneintermediate zone 39 of the panel-shaped body 21 remains clear betweentwo gassing ducts 28 situated one above the other. The height B of thisintermediate zone 39 may be, for example, 7 to 10 cm, such asapproximately 8.5 cm in this embodiment. The gas stream A can passthrough the panel-shaped body 21 via the perforations 25 in thisintermediate zone 39.

Each gassing duct 28 has an interior 29 which is delimited by a top wall35, a bottom wall 37 and two side walls 36. The panel-shaped body 21 ineach case extends with a part 30 through the gassing duct 28, which partforms a partition, as it were, which divides the gassing duct 28 into afirst duct compartment 32 and a second duct compartment 33. Bothcompartments extend along the entire length of the gassing duct 28 andare in this case of equal size and shape. However, the duct compartmentsdo not have to be of equal size and shape. It is also conceivable forthere to be only one compartment if the panel-shaped body delimits aside wall of the gassing duct, for example, if the part 30 has been cutaway, for example, or if the gassing duct has been placed against orclose to the panel-shaped body on the outside of the panel-shaped body.

In order to ensure that the medium supplied via the gassing ducts 28flows out along the panel-shaped body 21, distributed in the surroundingarea, in particular the gas stream directed transversely to thepanel-shaped body 21, each gassing duct 28 is provided with outflowopenings 31 arranged over the length of said gassing duct in adistributed manner. By varying the size of these outflow openings 31and/or the distance between adjacent outflow openings 31, an evendelivery along the entire length of the gassing duct 28 can be achieved.In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, in each case only thesecond duct compartment 33 is provided with outflow openings 31 and thefirst duct compartment is substantially closed, except for the passageopenings 34 and the perforations 26. This offers the advantage that themedium supplied spreads along the length of the gassing duct in thefirst compartment while, in the meantime, the temperature is influenced(that is to say is increased or reduced) by the temperature of the part30 of the panel-shaped body, which part acts as a partition, then flowsto the second compartment via the perforations 26 in said part 30 whichact as a partition, while, in the meantime, the temperature of themedium is influenced again, and then flows to the outflow openings viathe second compartment, while the temperature of the medium is in thiscase too influenced again in the meantime.

The medium supply ducts 27 are provided along opposite edges of thepanel-shaped body 21 and attached thereto. Thus, the heat exchanger canbe produced as a modular unit, of which only the two medium supply ductshave to be connected upon installation. Furthermore, the feed line 23and discharge line 24 for fluid are accommodated inside the mediumsupply ducts. In practice, this can be achieved relatively easilywithout the dimensions of the medium supply ducts having to increasesubstantially. After all, the fluid will generally be a fluid such aswater, so that these lines 23 and 24 can be relatively small, comparedto the supply duct for gaseous medium. Another advantage is the fact themedium supply duct thus protects the line 23 and/or 24 against damageand that the temperature of the medium can be influenced, if desired—byheating or cooling by means of the line 23 and/or 24—while it is flowingthrough the medium supply duct.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the interior 29 of each gassing duct 28touches the exterior 38 of a fluid line 22, both at the top wall 35 andat the bottom wall 37. This improves the exchange of heat between thefluid and the medium.

According to a further embodiment, each gassing duct 28 of the heatexchanger 1 according to the invention is provided with a trough 40having a first end 41 and a second end 42. These troughs 40 can be usedfor moisturization by filling them with a liquid, in particular water,and allowing it to evaporate. When used in a climate chamber containingbirds, these troughs 40 can also be used as drinking troughs. In orderto simplify the filling of the troughs 40 with liquid, the latter are inparticular provided with an overflow 43 near the second end, and thetroughs are staggered one above the other, in each case with the secondend 42 of a trough 40 situated at a higher level above the first end 41of a trough 40 situated at a lower level. The liquid can then besupplied at the first end 41 of the top trough, will then fill the toptrough up to the filling level determined by the overflow, subsequentlyfill the trough situated underneath up to the filling level determinedby the overflow thereof, etcetera, until the bottom trough is alsofilled. In order to ensure that the liquid flows to each subsequenttrough and to prevent flooding, in case there is an obstacle in onetrough, the first longitudinal top trough edge 44 is higher than thesecond longitudinal top trough edge 45, which is closer to thepanel-shaped body 21, and the top wall 35 of the gassing duct 28 in eachcase continues up to the second longitudinal top trough edge 45. Theliquid can then pass the obstacle via the top wall 35.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, each gassing duct is furthermore provided,if desired, with a fastening means, such as a receiving slot 46, forattaching a lighting fixture 47 (illustrated only in FIG. 2). Thisfixture 47 is provided with a row comprising a plurality of lightingLEDs 48, 49 (LED=light-emitting diode). Here, several LEDs 49 are ineach case directed towards the trough 40 underneath (directional arrow80 in FIG. 2) in order to illuminate the latter. The applicant has foundthat if the troughs 40 are drinking troughs for poultry, in particularfor chicks, it is advantageous if these LEDs emit red light. The birdscan then easily find the drinking trough. Other LEDs 48 may be directedin various directions (directional arrows 81 and 82 in FIG. 2) in orderto ensure even illumination and prevent blinding the birds.

The heat exchanger 1 according to the invention can be used in a climatechamber in an advantageous manner. This may be a climate chamber ofvarious kinds. Consideration may be given, inter alia, to a climatechamber for ripening fruit, a climate chamber for hatching eggs, and aclimate chamber for rearing animals, in particular very young animals,such as chicks less than 4 days old or of an age of 0 or 1 days. Suchvery young animals, such as in particular chicks, are not yet able tocontrol their own body temperature very well. In order to rear themwell, it is important that they are kept at a predetermined temperature,which is dependent on the type of animal, in particular during theinitial phase after hatching (birth), and to control this temperaturevery accurately (that is to say with an accuracy of ±1° C., preferablywith an accuracy of ±0.5° C., or with a greater accuracy, such as ±0.2°C. or less). According to the invention, the term climate chamber isparticularly understood to mean a device having an interior space, whichcan control the temperature in and throughout this interior space withan accuracy of ±1° C., preferably with an accuracy off 0.5° C., or witha greater accuracy, such as ±0.2° C. or less (that is to say, thegreatest difference in temperature between two spots in said space willbe at most the value of said ‘accuracy’). Controlling the temperaturewith such accuracy is also often desirable when ripening fruit, hatchingeggs and with other temperature-dependent processes. In that case, aclimate chamber is used, the walls of which are insulated and in theinterior of which a certain desired climatized environment can bemaintained.

FIGS. 4 and 5 highly diagrammatically show such a climate chamber 3,which in this case is in particular intended for rearing chicks whichhave just hatched. This climate chamber is delimited on the outside bythermally insulated side walls 14, a thermally insulated ceiling 16 anda floor 15, which is preferably also thermally insulated. The climatechamber 3 has at least one chamber compartment 4 in which the productwhich is to be kept or stored under conditioned circumstances, such aschicks, is placed. In the illustrated example, there are two rows withfive chamber compartments 4 each. The rows are on either side of acorridor 5 and are accessible from the corridor 5 via doors 9. Enteringand exiting the climate chamber 3 is possible by means of at least onedoor 10, 11. In this example, a door 10 is provided at one end of thecorridor, which is intended in particular for entering the corridor 5 ofthe climate chamber, and a door 11 is provided at the other end which isintended in particular for exiting the corridor 5 of the climatechamber.

At one end of each row of chamber compartments 4 an inlet chamber 13 isin each case provided for introducing conditioned gas, such as air, intothe upstream chamber compartment 4, and an outlet chamber 13 is in eachcase provided at the other end of each row of chamber compartments 4 forcollecting gas coming from the downstream chamber compartment 4.Although it is not required, it is energetically advantageoussubsequently to feed the gas from the outlet chamber 13 back to theinlet chamber. The gas may be fed back along the top of the chambercompartments, as is illustrated in WO 00/08922 . However, this methodrequires a lot of space and it is more advantageous to feed the gas backvia the corridor 5, as is indicated in FIG. 4 by means of arrows G. Thisleads to a significant reduction in the amount of space required. Inaddition, another result thereof is that the corridor 5 is alsoconditioned, albeit slightly less well than the chamber compartments 3,so that it is possible to open the door 9 of a chamber compartmentduring use while causing minimal disturbance to the climate.

In FIG. 4, the conveying stream of the products to be treated in theclimate chamber, such as chicks, is indicated by means of arrows K. Theproducts are preferably discharged via door 11 and the products arepreferably supplied via door 10, 11 since the supply side can thus bekept relatively clean, which prevents contamination.

The chamber compartments of this climate chamber are provided with heatexchangers at opposite sides. The inflow side of the chamber compartmentwhich is most upstream is in each case delimited by a heat exchanger 7,the outflow side of the most downstream chamber compartment is in eachcase delimited by a heat exchanger 8 and adjacent chamber compartmentsare in each case delimited with respect to one another by a heatexchanger 1. These heat exchangers 1, 7 and 8 may be substantiallyidentical with respect to one another, but given the fact that the heatexchangers 7 and 8 only delimit a chamber compartment on one side, itwill be clear to those skilled in the art that these heat exchangers 7and 8 may also be of a different design, in particular on the side whichis remote from the chamber compartment 4. The heat exchangers 1, 7 and 8are of the kind which are composed of a panel-shaped body 21 providedwith perforations 25 and 26, as well as with fluid lines 22. The gasstream through the chamber compartments and the perforations in thepanel-shaped body 21 are in this case indicated by means of arrows L.Ventilation means 50, such as fans, in this case ensure that the gasstream is maintained. These ventilation means may as such be provided atvarious locations, but will usually be provided in the inlet chamber 12and/or the outlet chamber 13.

As regards the climate chamber as described up to now with reference toFIGS. 4 and 5, it is not strictly necessary to provide the heatexchanger with gassing ducts, although this has a cumulative advantage.The way in which the gas is recirculated via the corridor which has atleast one chamber compartment on one or both sides, and the way in whichthe gas is introduced into said chamber compartment via the inletchamber 13 and discharged via the outlet chamber 12 as such forms afurther invention to which the Applicant reserves all rights. Thisfurther invention may be, in short, be characterized further as relatingto the claims. As stated above, the Applicant reserves all rightsrelating to such a climate chamber, such as the right to file adivisional patent application.

As stated above, the climate chamber 3 according to the invention is inparticular provided with heat exchangers 1, 7 and 8 as described invarious further embodiments with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. 1, 2, 3or more rows 6 of stacked crates 2 are placed in each chambercompartment. In particular, this will be 1 or 2 rows of stacks, such astwo rows 6 of stacks, as illustrated diagrammatically in the centralchamber compartment in FIG. 5. Depending on the depth, viewed at rightangles to the plane of the drawing from FIG. 5, of each chambercompartment 4 and the length, viewed in the direction of double arrow Mfrom FIG. 6, each row 6 of stacks of crates may comprise one or morestacks of crates.

Referring to FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and FIG. 3, if the heat exchangers 1, 7 and 8are provided with drinking troughs 40, each crate preferably has aheight H corresponding to the centre-to-centre distance C between thegassing ducts 28 and drinking troughs 40. Furthermore, the crate 2 isthen provided with drinking passages 54 on one side, the side facing thedrinking trough 40, so that the birds, in particular the chicks, candrink from a trough 40. These drinking passages 54 may be provided in avertical side wall of the crate. However, it is particularlyadvantageous to provide that side of the crate 2 facing the drinkingtrough with, starting from the bottom, a bottom vertical wall part 51, awall part 52 which is directed outwards from the top of the bottomvertical wall part 51, and a top wall part 53 which is directedvertically from the outer edge of the outwardly directed wall part 52.The outwardly directed wall part 52 of each crate 2 is in each casesituated above a trough 40 and is provided with the drinking passages 54which continue as far as just into the bottom vertical wall part 51 toincrease drinking comfort. These drinking passages 54 are, on the onehand, dimensioned such that the birds can drink from the trough, but, onthe other hand, cannot escape from the crate 2 via the drinking passage54. The width E of the drinking passages is in this case approximately22 mm, so that the chicks can stick their head through them, but theirbody is too large to pass through them. The bottom vertical wall part 51forms a kind of railing which prevents the chicks from pushing eachother as far as above the trough and ensures a correct drinking level.As an indication, for chicks of chickens, the bottom vertical wall part51 may, in this case, have a height of approximately, 50 mm to 55 mm andthe top vertical wall part 53 may in this case have a height ofapproximately 90 mm to 110 mm.

In order to ensure that the gas stream A can permeate the crate 2according to the invention, the crate 2 is provided with ventilationopenings on two opposite sides—which are at right angles to the gasstream A—in order to allow the gas stream A to pass. These ventilationpassages have a width F, see FIG. 7, which is such that the animals, inparticular the chicks, cannot escape through them. The width F ispreferably such that the animals cannot stick their head out of thecrate here.

In order to be able to feed the animals, such as the abovementionedchicks, the crate 2 according to the invention is provided with afeeding trough 60. In order to allow the gas to flow through the crate 2in a manner which is as unimpeded as possible, this feeding trough 60 isprovided along a side of the crate 2 which is at right angles to theside along which the drinking trough 40, at least the drinking passages54, are provided. The feeding trough 60 comprises, in a known manner, apartition 62 which separates the filling opening 61 from the feedopening 63 which is situated at a lower level.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the bottom of the cratesis designed as a grate 56 with a removable baseplate 55 fittedunderneath. This baseplate is advantageously made of a materialcontaining cellulose, such as cardboard. The baseplate 55 can then berecycled and be disposed of together with the droppings as a disposableproduct. More generally, it is advantageous according to the inventionif the baseplate is made from a biodegradable material, such as abiodegradable plastic or biodegradable cardboard. This baseplate 55 isin particular provided at a distance D of 5 mm to 50 mm underneath thegrate 56. Referring to FIG. 8, this baseplate 55 can be placed in thecrate and removed from the crate by sliding in accordance with thedouble arrow N. To this end, the crate 2 is provided with two ribs 65and 66 on the underside, between which there is a slot in which theopposite edges of the baseplate can be accommodated. When stacked, thesupports 67 of a crate 2 underneath in each case provide support to thebaseplate 55 of a crate 2 above. The underside of the grate isparticular designed to be convex towards the top. In order to be able tomove this crate 2 safely over a conveyor belt without a baseplate 55 butwith chicks 100 or other animals without damaging the legs or toes ofthe animals, it is advantageous according to the invention if the crate2 is provided on the underside with supporting feet 58, which ensurethat there is a minimum distance D of 5 to 15 mm between the undersideof the grate 56 and the surface. In order to prevent the grate fromsagging, it is provided with reinforcing ribs 59 on the underside. Itshould be noted that a stack of crates for young animals, such aschicks, described in this paragraph, forms a further invention by itselffor which the Applicant reserves all rights. This further invention may,independently of what else has been described in this application inrespect of the crate, be characterized as: Stack comprising a pluralityof crates, optionally containing animals, such as chicks, each cratehaving a bottom which is designed as a grate 56 having a removablebaseplate 55 fitted underneath for collecting droppings. This furtherinvention furthermore relates to an individual crate, as described abovein this paragraph. As stated above, the Applicant reserves all rightswith respect to such a stack of crates and with respect to such anindividual crate, such as the right to file a divisional patentapplication.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   1=heat exchanger-   2=crate-   3=climate chamber-   4=(chamber) compartment in climate chamber-   5=corridor in climate chamber-   6=stack of crates-   7=heat exchanger-   8=heat exchanger-   9=door-   10=door-   11=door-   12=inlet chamber-   13=outlet chamber-   14=vertical outside wall of climate chamber-   15=floor of climate chamber-   16=ceiling of climate chamber-   21=panel-shaped body-   22=fluid line-   23=fluid feed line-   24=fluid discharge line-   25=perforation-   26=perforation-   27=medium supply duct-   28=gassing duct-   29=interior of gassing duct-   30=part of panel-shaped body touching the interior of the gassing    duct-   31=outflow opening-   32=first duct compartment-   33=second duct compartment-   34=passage opening from medium supply duct to first duct compartment-   35=top wall first and second duct compartment-   36=side wall first/second duct compartment-   37=bottom wall first and second duct compartment-   38=exterior of fluid line-   39=intermediate zone of panel-shaped body, situated between gassing    ducts-   40=trough-   41=first end of trough-   42=second end of trough-   43=overflow-   44=first longitudinal trough edge-   45=second longitudinal trough edge-   46=attachment slot for lighting fixture-   47=lighting fixture-   48=LED-   49=LED directed at trough-   50=ventilation means-   51=bottom vertical wall part-   52=outwardly directed wall part-   53=top vertical wall part-   54=(drinking) passage-   55=baseplate-   56=grate-   57=upper side/underside of grate/baseplate (Claim 28)-   58=supporting foot-   59=supporting foot-   60=feeding trough-   61=filling opening of feeding trough-   62=partition of feeding trough-   63=feed opening of feeding trough-   64=ventilation passage-   65=rib-   66=rib-   67=support-   100=chick-   A=gas stream-   B=distance between gassing ducts-   C=centre-to-centre distance between gassing ducts-   D=intermediate space between baseplate and grate-   E=width of drinking passage-   F=width of ventilation passage-   G=arrows indicating the feeding back of the gas stream-   H=height of crate-   K=arrows indicating the conveying direction of products-   L=arrows indicating the gas stream through the chamber compartments    and perforations in the heat exchanger-   M=double arrow indicating the longitudinal direction of a crate-   N=double arrow indicating the sliding in/out of the baseplate

The invention claimed is:
 1. A heat exchanger for use in a climate chamber, the heat exchanger comprising: a main body having a substantially rectangular cross-section comprising a heat-conducting material, the main body having perforations which permit the passage of a gas stream directed transversely to the plane of the main body; a fluid feed line that permits a fluid to be received by the main body; a fluid discharge line spaced from the fluid feed line that permits the fluid to be discharged from the main body; a plurality of fluid lines formed in the main body and extending between and in communication with the fluid feed line and the fluid discharge line to permit a passing of the fluid through the main body; at least one medium supply duct for supplying a gaseous medium; and a plurality of gassing ducts which extend parallel to one another along the main body and also extend transversely to and in communication with the at least one medium supply duct, wherein each one of the gassing ducts is provided with outflow openings which are provided along the length thereof to permit the gaseous medium to flow into the gas stream, and wherein each gassing duct is provided with at least one fluid trough which extends over substantially the entire length of the gassing duct.
 2. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein: an interior surface of each gassing duct contacts a part of the main body, and each gassing duct comprises a first duct compartment and a second duct compartment, both of which extend in a longitudinal direction of the gassing duct to combine with the part to form a partition of the main body, the partition configured to separate the first duct compartment and the second duct compartment from one another.
 3. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein: the partition has the perforations, the first duct compartment is in communication with the medium supply duct to receive the gaseous medium therefrom and is substantially closed with respect to the environment, and the outflow openings are provided in the second duct compartment in such a manner that the gaseous medium supplied from the medium supply duct to the first duct compartment is transferred to the second duct compartment via the perforations in the partition and exits the second duct compartment in order to flow into the gas stream via the outflow openings.
 4. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein: the at least one medium supply duct extends along an edge of the main body and is attached to an edge thereof, the at least one medium supply duct comprises two medium supply ducts which are provided along opposite edges of the main body such that the gassing ducts extend between the two medium supply ducts, and one of the fluid feed line and the fluid discharge line extends through the at least one medium supply duct.
 5. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the interior of each gassing duct contacts the exterior surface of a respective one of the fluid lines.
 6. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein: the gassing ducts are spaced apart a predetermined distance from one another, and the main body includes intermediate zones situated between the gassing ducts and which are provided with the perforations.
 7. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein: the troughs are situated one above the other and include a first end and a second end, and are provided with a fluid overflow at the second end which debouches in a downwardly direction above the first end of the trough underneath in such a manner that liquid supplied at the first end of the top trough, going successively from an uppermost trough to the bottommost trough, fills the trough situated at a higher level and flows to the bottommost trough situated at a lower level when the filling level, which is determined in each case by the overflow of the trough situated at a higher level, is exceeded, and each trough has a first longitudinal trough edge and a second longitudinal trough edge such that the second longitudinal trough edge is located between the first longitudinal trough edge and the main body and is defined by a top wall of a respective gassing duct, and the first longitudinal trough edge is situated at a higher level than the second longitudinal trough edge so that when an obstacle is present in the trough, the liquid is able to pass the obstacle via a top wall of a respective gassing duct.
 8. The heat exchanger of claim 7, further comprising at least one lighting fixture provided for each gassing duct, wherein each gassing duct is provided with a fastener configured to attach a lighting fixture thereto and the fastener comprises a receiving slot extending in a longitudinal direction of a respective gassing duct and which receives the lighting fixture, the receiving slot being open to the environment.
 9. The heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein the lighting fixture comprises a plurality of LEDs which extend along substantially the entire respective gassing duct, at least one of the LEDs is directed in such a manner that it emits light on the trough
 10. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein some of the fluid lines run parallel to one another, the fluid feed line is provided along a first side of the main body, the fluid discharge line is provided along a second side of the main body such that the first side and the second side are spaced apart from each other.
 11. The heat exchanger of claim 9, wherein the at least one LED emits red light.
 12. A heat exchanger for use in a climate chamber, the heat exchanger comprising: a main body having a substantially rectangular cross-section comprising a heat-conducting material, the main body having perforations which permit the passage of a gas stream directed transversely to the plane of the main body; a fluid feed line that permits a fluid to be received by the main body; a fluid discharge line spaced from the fluid feed line that permits the fluid to be discharged from the main body; a plurality of fluid lines formed in the main body and extending between and in communication with the fluid feed line and the fluid discharge line to permit a passing of the fluid through the main body; at least one medium supply duct for supplying a gaseous medium; a plurality of gassing ducts which extend parallel to one another along the main body and also extend transversely to and in communication with the at least one medium supply duct, wherein each one of the gassing ducts is provided with outflow openings which are provided along the length thereof to permit the gaseous medium to flow into the gas stream; and at least one lighting fixture provided for each gassing duct.
 13. The heat exchanger of claim 12, wherein: an interior surface of each gassing duct contacts a part of the main body, and each gassing duct comprises a first duct compartment and a second duct compartment, both of which extend in a longitudinal direction of the gassing duct to combine with the part to form a partition of the main body, the partition configured to separate the first duct compartment and the second duct compartment from one another.
 14. The heat exchanger of claim 13, wherein: the partition has the perforations, the first duct compartment is in communication with the medium supply duct to receive the gaseous medium therefrom and is substantially closed with respect to the environment, and the outflow openings are provided in the second duct compartment in such a manner that the gaseous medium supplied from the medium supply duct to the first duct compartment is transferred to the second duct compartment via the perforations in the partition and exits the second duct compartment in order to flow into the gas stream via the outflow openings.
 15. The heat exchanger of claim 12, wherein: the at least one medium supply duct extends along an edge of the main body and is attached to an edge thereof, the at least one medium supply duct comprises two medium supply ducts which are provided along opposite edges of the main body such that the gassing ducts extend between the two medium supply ducts, and one of the fluid feed line and the fluid discharge line extends through the at least one medium supply duct.
 16. The heat exchanger of claim 12, wherein each gassing duct is provided with at least one fluid trough which extends over substantially the entire length of the gassing duct.
 17. The heat exchanger of claim 16, wherein: the troughs are situated one above the other and include a first end and a second end, and are provided with a fluid overflow at the second end which debouches in a downwardly direction above the first end of the trough underneath in such a manner that liquid supplied at the first end of the top trough, going successively from an uppermost trough to the bottommost trough, fills the trough situated at a higher level and flows to the bottommost trough situated at a lower level when the filling level, which is determined in each case by the overflow of the trough situated at a higher level, is exceeded, and each trough has a first longitudinal trough edge and a second longitudinal trough edge such that the second longitudinal trough edge is located between the first longitudinal trough edge and the main body and is defined by a top wall of a respective gassing duct, and the first longitudinal trough edge is situated at a higher level than the second longitudinal trough edge so that when an obstacle is present in the trough, the liquid is able to pass the obstacle via a top wall of a respective gassing duct.
 18. The heat exchanger of claim 17, wherein at least one lighting fixture is directed in such a manner that it emits light on the trough.
 19. The heat exchanger of claim 18, wherein each gassing duct is provided with a fastener configured to attach a lighting fixture thereto.
 20. The heat exchanger of claim 12, wherein the lighting fixture comprises a plurality of LEDs which extend along substantially the entire respective gassing duct. 